9. Lucas

Chapter 9

Lucas

"Lucas! Wait!"

I ignore the shout from behind me and continue walking. My father's voice rings out, making me cringe a little, but I keep going. I'm not interested in having a chat right now, especially not with him. I've heard everything he has to say a dozen times already. It's drilled into my head like a mantra.

"Lucas!" His voice is louder now and closer. I'm not going to be able to run away from this confrontation.

With a heavy sigh, I stop and turn around. I catch sight of my father, Elder William, approaching quickly. He's tall and broad with dark hair and piercing eyes. He looks angry.

"What?" I frown as he looms up before me. "What have I done to earn the ire of the great Elder William this time?"

"What have I told you about taking that tone with me?" William's voice is harsh.

I grit my teeth and glare at him.

"According to the accounts from the other hunters, you didn't contribute much to the mission at all," William says, folding his arms as he looks down at me. "Why?"

"Because you forced me to go on a mission I wasn't suited for perhaps?" I offer an ambivalent tilt of my head. "Or maybe it's because I wanted to piss you off again. Apparently, that's all I ever do anyway, so why not do my best to make you mad again?"

"Don't use that tone with me, pup," William snaps. "And don't try to act like you're innocent here. You could've contributed something to the mission. Anything. We're wolves, we run in packs because we value community. We care for one another, support each other's efforts, and we all pull our weight so that everyone is cared for. Why can't you understand that?"

I scoff, shaking my head. "I understand perfectly fine. I understand that I'm not the son you wanted me to be, and you've never let me forget that a day in my life. Well, guess what, Dad? I don't care anymore. I'm done trying to live up to your expectations. Done trying to please you. Done with making my own life harder than it needs to be. I'm just done."

"Done with what, Lucas? Life?"

"Maybe," I mutter, turning away.

"If you think you can just run away and abandon your responsibilities." William's tone rises. "You're wrong."

"What responsibilities do I have left, Dad?" I turn to glare at him again. "I failed the mission. There's nothing left for me here. Nothing. I'm useless. Something that you seem to enjoy reminding me of. Constantly. Endlessly. So excuse me while I go back to my room and sleep until the next ice age."

"That's no way for an alpha to act."

"No way for your son to act, you mean," I snort. Before he can reply, I do something I've never done in my entire life.

Turn my back on my father.

I walk away. I'm done trying to win his approval. Done trying to impress him.

I give up.

He's still yelling at me as I pace across the compound, but it's just background noise to me now. The endless barking of a dog that's been left outside for too long. Just an old man that won't shut up.

I'm not sure what's gotten into me. I've never acted like this before. Even the last time he was disappointed in me, I'd just gone along with his demands and tried harder. I've always been that way. It's all I've ever done, all I ever wanted to do. I wanted his approval more than anything. Craved it like it was a drug that I couldn't get enough of. But now…

A noise in the distance catches my ear. A laugh that I somehow recognize. My wolf is immediately whining and demanding that I head toward the sound. Thankfully, I'm used to not doing exactly what I'm told. I lift my eyes and look for whoever laughed.

Ahead, on the same path, walking toward me are Seb and Oliver.

As soon as my gaze lands on Oliver, my heart skips a beat. After sitting next to him the entire ride back home, I'm extremely familiar with his scent now. It makes my pulse race and gives me all sorts of strange and compelling emotions that I want to give in to.

But I don't.

"Hey, Lucas," Sebastian calls with a grin. "Where are you headed?"

"Nowhere. Anywhere. Home, probably." I shrug. "Why?"

"Just curious. I've been showing Oliver around since last night. He thought you might want to join us," Sebastian explains.

I glance down at Oliver who is blushing as he avoids my gaze. Did he really think I might want to go with them? That's not what I was expecting. Definitely not something I had on my BINGO card for the day.

"Okay," I agree, surprising myself.

"Cool." Sebastian grins and gestures for me to join them. "We were gonna walk by the gardens, and I was gonna show him where the pumpkin patch is. I was explaining how we grow a ton of these massive pumpkins and then sell them in town every year around Halloween. The pack makes a fortune from it, it's awesome."

"Oh, yeah, the pumpkins are fun." I nod. "Honestly, the fall pumpkin harvest is one of the things I enjoy most around here."

"See?" Sebastian looks at Oliver with a grin. "I told you. Lucas doesn't really enjoy anything we do around here, but he loves the pumpkin harvest."

"I don't not enjoy things," I protest. "I just prefer not to do them."

"Right, right, whatever." Sebastian chuckles. "Come on, let's get moving. We've still got a lot to see and a lot of ground to cover. And I'm pretty sure that you haven't seen a fraction of the places worth seeing around here."

Sebastian starts walking, Oliver falling into step beside him.

I trail a few steps behind them, until Oliver glances back at me and smiles warmly. I don't know why, but that makes me feel…good. Like a fuzzy feeling in my stomach and chest. It's weird, but I don't hate it. I pick up the pace a little and take up position on the other side of Oliver, enjoying the comfort of the small omega's presence.

Sebastian asks, "So, did you have a place like this back home?"

"Not like this," Oliver says, glancing around at the buildings and the trees. "My pack is a lot smaller," he explains. "There's only a dozen or so of us. Plus the pups. We have a small farm we live on together. Everyone has a room either in the barn or the big house. It's really nice."

"That sounds nice." Sebastian nods. "I know it must've been hard to leave."

Oliver falls quiet and looks at his feet as the three of us keep walking. He told us his story when we were in the car on the way back. About leaving his pack and letting his brother take his place. I know that maybe I'm not the best person to go to for advice about anything, but I catch myself wanting to offer some.

Wanting to tell him to go back home. To be with his family and the people that love him. To stop worrying about things that are beyond his control. He doesn't need to worry so much about how things appear from the outside and only about what his family actually needs to survive.

But that's none of my business.